Cigar 101: Cutting & Lighting

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Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:13

Welcome to the Cigar Rebel community, where indulgence meets authenticity. This is more than a podcast. It's a gathering place for those who savor life's luxuries with unapologetic passion. Here we celebrate the fine art of living through rich flavors, bold spirits, exquisite cigars, and unforgettable experiences.

SPEAKER_06 0:36

Welcome, Cigar Rebels, to the podcast.

SPEAKER_07 0:38

I'm Mel.

SPEAKER_08 0:40

And I'm Kevin, and we're coming to you live tonight from Stories, Cigars, and Lounge with an episode Cigars 101.

SPEAKER_07 0:48

Yes. So we will be doing cutting and lighting.

SPEAKER_08 0:51

Yep. And so sorry, I tuck off. I thought you were going to talk about if they were whether where they are at.

SPEAKER_07 0:56

I know.

SPEAKER_08 0:57

So strong start tonight. So I'll throw back to you.

SPEAKER_07 1:02

So whether you are lighting up on your back porch, sitting on your favorite lounge, driving home from work, or just sneaking away for a little peace and quiet, or if you are watching the USA versus Belgium game, we are glad that you guys are here.

SPEAKER_08 1:17

Absolutely. And so as we said, we're coming to you live tonight. We're super excited with another cigar 101 episode. As Mel said, um, tonight we're talking about what every cigar smoker does, but not every cigar smoker does well.

SPEAKER_07 1:30

Yes, and that is going to be cutting and lighting.

SPEAKER_08 1:34

And so the two things that happen before you really ever begin your cigar, before the cigar ever begins to perform. And also the two things that can ruin a perfectly good cigar before you ever get to the first draw.

SPEAKER_07 1:49

Yes. So that is 100% the truth. A great cigar can really survive a lot. Um, a bad cut in light, and maybe if you rushed it, that can be a really rough start.

SPEAKER_08 2:01

Yeah, and it's like buying a prime ribeye from a local butcher, taking it home, trimming it up, getting it seasoned, throwing it in a microwave, just heating it up.

SPEAKER_07 2:11

That I I can't even like think about that. That just hurts a little, right? It doesn't sit well with me.

SPEAKER_08 2:18

It shouldn't sit well with you.

SPEAKER_07 2:20

Yeah, I don't even cook the steaks. You don't you always do.

SPEAKER_08 2:23

But that's what a bad cut and light is like.

SPEAKER_07 2:26

Yes. So tonight we are going to uh slow down and talk through the right way to cut, light, touch up, and also relight a cigar. We're also gonna dive into a little bit about the cigar anatomy, different cutters, different lighters, uh common mistakes, how to fix uh common problems when your cigar starts misbehaving.

SPEAKER_08 2:47

And Rebels, this episode is not about cigar snobbery, it's not about making new cigar smokers feel bad.

SPEAKER_07 2:54

Right. This is gonna be all about confidence because if you know how to cut and light your cigar correctly, everything is gonna get better. The draw is gonna be better, the burn, the flavor, the experience, everything.

SPEAKER_08 3:07

Yeah, and to be honest with you, your blood pressure goes up a little bit when you purchase an $18 cigar and it begins to canoe a few minutes in or it begins to tunnel or unravel.

SPEAKER_07 3:22

Yes, that is a hundred percent true. That is always so devastating. So go ahead, rebels, cut light and settle in for tonight.

SPEAKER_08 3:31

So, Mel, before we get too deep in the episode, what are we smoking tonight?

SPEAKER_07 3:34

So, tonight we are smoking the Paladin Connecticut by Hooton Young. This has an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper and then Nicaraguan binders and fillers.

SPEAKER_08 3:43

Yeah, so what do you think about the cold draw so far?

SPEAKER_07 3:47

So for me, the cold draw, it's very clean, has a little bit of resistance there, just a little bit, not being a little bit.

SPEAKER_08 3:55

It's got a great draw. It's got the right amount of resistance, it's not too flowy, but you gotta actually take a little pull on the draw, which is perfect.

SPEAKER_07 4:02

It's a little bit sweet, has some woody hints in there.

SPEAKER_08 4:06

Yeah, there's definitely this mild hay with a little bit of creaminess, I think. And so, again, not to get too detailed, but I really feel like it's got this really great natural flavor to it.

SPEAKER_07 4:16

Yep. And so all right, let's go ahead and cut our cigar today.

SPEAKER_08 4:20

And our lighting, so we've already cut it, we're gonna go ahead and light it today. Uh we're gonna light our cigar tonight.

SPEAKER_06 4:25

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SPEAKER_00 4:32

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SPEAKER_07 5:51

As always, thank you to our sponsors. Now that we've got this lit, why don't you start us off tonight?

SPEAKER_08 5:57

Yeah, so this cigar, uh, just from the first couple of draws, Mel, is extremely smooth and buttery. Um, that creamy hay definitely transitions over to a little bit more of that buttery, savory kind of creaminess, um, like a higher end butter. What's that Irish butter?

SPEAKER_07 6:14

Um, it starts with a K, Kerry Gold.

SPEAKER_08 6:16

Yeah, so just that kind of creamy savoriness, which is great. There's a little bit of toasted almond there, and on the finish, there's just kind of a rich cedar that I'm picking up. Yeah, um, that woodiness that you mentioned earlier, I think, in the cold draw. Um, so that's been great. Uh, just a couple of notes. Hey Richard, good to see you on tonight. Um, he had asked if we had heard of oak and iron cigars. Um, I have heard of them. I have not smoked one. Um, would be definitely open to that and learning. I always love learning about uh new cigar companies. Um, getting back to the topic, Mel, when you're teaching cutting and lighting, you really want a cigar that gives you honest feedback. It's a cigar that's not too dry, not too wet, that doesn't plug, that's really um not underfilled or poorly constructed. And then the cutting and lighting, you know, it won't really solve everything if you have those issues.

SPEAKER_07 7:09

Right.

SPEAKER_08 7:09

However, it is impactful.

SPEAKER_07 7:11

100%. So this is gonna be one of those episodes where the process is really the point. So it's going to be why cutting and lighting matters. And so we're gonna start with uh the big idea. And you know, that's that cutting and lighting um are not just cigar chores that you have to do, they really are part of the smoking experience.

SPEAKER_08 7:35

And it sounds oversimplified, but it really does matter. A lot of people treat cutting and lighting like they're simply obstacles to getting the cigar lit. Like, let me hurry up and get this thing smoking.

SPEAKER_07 7:46

Right. And that's really where that problem starts. It can uh the cut really controls the airflow of the cigar and the light really starts that combustion. Uh, so these two things they influence the entire cigar.

SPEAKER_08 8:00

Yeah, if the cut's bad, the draw is going to be bad. If the light is bad, the burn can be bad. And if both are bad, you're gonna spend the next hour blaming the cigar, the humidity, the lounge, the brand, the roller, that friend that did you wrong in fourth grade that you still haven't gotten over.

SPEAKER_07 8:18

Yes, yes. And really, it could be that you chopped off half of the cap and you touched one side of the foot like you were welding.

SPEAKER_08 8:27

Yeah, and we've all seen it. And if we're honest, we've all done it.

SPEAKER_07 8:31

We have. I mean, here is the first takeaway tonight is that you don't have to be fancy, but you do have to be intentional.

SPEAKER_08 8:38

And that's the line right there, Mel. That's the takeaway tonight.

SPEAKER_07 8:40

Yes, a clean cut, a patient toast, a really even light, that is going to set the perfect foundation for your cigar.

SPEAKER_08 8:48

Yeah, and that foundation lets the cigar do what it was blended to do.

SPEAKER_07 8:55

Right.

SPEAKER_08 8:55

Burn well.

SPEAKER_07 8:57

And before we start and dive into cutters, we need to spend just a couple minutes on the cigar anatomy. So, and that's really because if we don't understand what the parts of the cigar are, it is really easy to cut the wrong part. And I think if you're a new cigar smoker, that is the question that I get the most often is which is the side that you cut?

SPEAKER_08 9:18

Yeah, we're in a cigar line the other day, and there was a female smoking her first cigar, which was awesome. Um, and the first thing she said is, okay, which side do I cut? And she put the foot, which is the side you like, into the cutter. And you know, it's like, okay, if you don't cut the cap that's closed, you're not gonna get very far, right? But I think she thought you lit that side and cut the other. Uh, she'd never done it. And the person with her patiently walked her through it, which was great. Um, definitely one of those fun things to help somebody grow, right? Yes, um, it's easy to cut the wrong side, right?

SPEAKER_07 9:58

A hundred percent.

SPEAKER_08 9:59

It's one of those things that new cigar smokers hear and immediately think, wait, there are parts to a cigar.

SPEAKER_07 10:07

Yes, yes. So a premium cigar is going to have several important parts. It's going to have the head, the cap, it's gonna have the shoulder, the body, or some people call it the barrel, it's going to have the foot, the wrapper, the binder, and the filler.

SPEAKER_08 10:23

Yeah, and let's start at the end that people cut, Mel. Yes. Let's start there.

SPEAKER_07 10:27

That's a great place to start because, like you said, you have seen people ask the question. I have seen both men and women, but a particular story is uh one time a gentleman came, he wanted a cigar. I offered to cut and light it for him. He assured me he knew what he was doing, and he cut the cap after I told him it was that was the spot that you cut, and then he lit the cap and tried to smoke the foot. And I was like, So we ended up just giving him a whole new cigar, but he was adamant he knew how to do it. I wasn't gonna step in more than I had to, but then it was just completely a fiasco after that. Um, but the head is the closed end of the cigar.

SPEAKER_08 11:07

So for those of you guys watching live or on the replay on YouTube or Facebook, you can see this is the head, the rounded part with the cap. Yeah. Just to give a little bit of example.

SPEAKER_07 11:17

Yes. And we say that because 99% of cigars are gonna have an open foot, right? But there is that small percent that will have a closed foot.

SPEAKER_08 11:28

Yep. And the head is the side that goes into your mouth when you're smoking it. Yes, and what's the cap milk?

SPEAKER_07 11:34

So the cap is that small piece of tobacco that is placed over the head, and that's really to finish the cigar, and it holds the wrapper in place while you're smoking it, and that is along with the shoulder.

SPEAKER_08 11:48

Yeah, absolutely. And the cap matters, right? Because when you look at a cigar, that cap is mill said is holding the entire cigar together.

SPEAKER_07 11:57

Yes, the cap is very important, and the goal of cutting it is not to remove the entire cap. The goal of cutting is to really open the cigar while leaving enough of that cap to hold the wrapper together.

SPEAKER_08 12:13

Yeah. And so one of the things I want to show you in the cigar is if you're ever unsure of which side is the head, because some cigars are rolled in a way that can be difficult, is look at the band. Hold the cigar where you can read the band, and then the head of the cigar is above that.

SPEAKER_05 12:28

Yes.

SPEAKER_08 12:29

So, like in this cigar here, you can read the cigar. So the head is above it. Below it is the foot. Now, on a rare occasion, it only has a foot band down at the bottom. Then that is the foot because they're never gonna put a headband, they will only put a foot band, and so those are really easy ways to tell which side is the head and which side is the foot, which is open.

SPEAKER_07 12:52

Yeah, don't be giving any any cigar people ideas of new packaging of putting a wrapper on the head. I don't want to I don't want to have to wrap around.

SPEAKER_08 13:01

Just a little headband. But this is truly where people get in trouble, rebels. They see it closed in and think, I need to cut enough off to really open it up, and they cut way deep into the cigar.

SPEAKER_07 13:14

Yes, and then when that happens, the wrapper oftentimes is going to start to unravel.

SPEAKER_08 13:20

Yeah, absolutely. And suddenly they're licking it, they're pressing it back down, hoping nobody saw.

SPEAKER_07 13:26

Right. And really, most of the time, to be honest, everybody sees it. Um, the shoulder is where the head begins to curve into the body of the cigar, and that rounded area really is important because most straight cuts should happen just above the shoulder, not deep into it.

SPEAKER_08 13:46

Yeah, and don't cut into the shoulder because when you cut into the shoulder, the whole thing begins to fall apart on you.

SPEAKER_07 13:53

Yes. So you want to remove just enough of the cap to create that clean opening in your cigar.

SPEAKER_08 14:00

Yeah, and if you're to look at a cigar, like looking at this one here that I'm holding, you have a very thin cap and you can see the line, and just below it, you can see another line. That's typically the shoulder. And the shoulder is made with the same wrapper that goes around the tobacco, or it's a different piece of that wrapper, depending on the style. If it's a Cuban style roll, if it's Dominican, there's a few other ones out there. Um, but you really see that shoulder. The cap truly is on this one, the cap maybe goes down an eighth of an inch down the side of the cigar, maybe even a sixteenth. It is slight on this cigar, right? And you really do want to remove just enough of the cap to clean create this very clean opening that allows the cigar to draw. Then you have the foot mill. Tell us about the foot.

SPEAKER_07 14:47

So the foot is gonna be in most cigars, that open end of the cigar. That is going to be the side that you are going to light, and that is also where you can see the tobacco filler in the cigar.

SPEAKER_08 15:00

Yeah. And this is where the lining process begins to start and take place.

SPEAKER_07 15:05

Right. The wrapper is that outside leaf, and it impacts the flavor, the appearance, uh, combustion, texture. The binder is going to hold the filler together, and the filler is going to be the tobacco inside of the cigar that drives the burn. It's going to drive the combustion and the aroma and the flavor profiles are also in a lot of the filler of the cigar.

SPEAKER_08 15:31

Absolutely. And all three of those make up the blend: the wrapper, the binder, and the filler. And they all impact the flavor and the combustion.

SPEAKER_07 15:41

Right. And when you cut too much, or if you like too aggressively, you can damage the balance of how all of these components burn together.

SPEAKER_08 15:51

Yeah, it's kind of like we talked about that ribeye that you go to the butcher, you have them cut a beautiful two and a half inch thick ribeye, you take it home, you season it, you let it rest on the counter before you get ready to cook it, and you throw it in the microwave. Or the opposite is you take that thing and you throw it on a grill at 700 degrees and you leave it on there for 45 minutes and it's charred and burnt. A ribeye microwaved versus a ribeye perfectly cooked versus a ribeye that's just charred to crap tastes differently.

SPEAKER_07 16:22

Yeah, it does 100%.

SPEAKER_08 16:24

You must know what you're cutting and know what you're lighting to get the perfect smoke.

SPEAKER_07 16:30

Yeah, I mean, that is a great point. And that's really because cigars are always built with intention, and you should start with intention.

SPEAKER_08 16:42

Absolutely. Hey Alex, good to see you on the show tonight. Thanks for joining us. So let's talk tools for just a moment, Mel. Um, types of cutters, because people, and particularly cigar people, love accessories, they love cigar bridge.

SPEAKER_07 16:57

That is very true. Uh, some people have one cutter, some people have 12 cutters, some people have a cutter that really sometimes costs more than what the cigar actually costs.

SPEAKER_08 17:09

Absolutely. And some people still ask the lounge for one every time because they don't own one, even though they smoke five cigars a day.

SPEAKER_07 17:16

Yes, and so there really are several types of cigar cutters. There's the straight cut, uh, there's the V cutter, there's a punch, um, there's cigar scissors, there's cigar knives, and then there are specialty cutters that are for certain shapes.

SPEAKER_08 17:33

So let's start with the classic, a straight cutter.

SPEAKER_07 17:35

Yes. So the straight cutter, it really is probably the most common, and it uses one or two blades uh to make a straight cut across the cap. And uh a good double blade guillotine cutter that is one of the most reliable tools a cigar smoker can own.

SPEAKER_08 17:55

Yeah, and here's the deal sharpness matters.

SPEAKER_07 17:59

Yes, sharp matters even more than how expensive it is. A sharp, inexpensive cutter is going to be way better than a dull luxury cutter that draws everybody's eye.

SPEAKER_08 18:11

Yeah, and you're full of one ladders tonight, Mel. But it's absolutely right. A sharp, inexpensive cutter is substantially better than a luxury cutter that rips and tears your cigar.

SPEAKER_07 18:21

Yes. A dull cutter is going to or can crush the cigar. May not always, but it's going to mess up the cap versus actually cut it. And that can crack the wrapper, it can compress all of the fillers, it really can create a messy draw.

SPEAKER_08 18:38

Yeah, and what is the straight cutter best for? Like, is there a cigar that it's better for than others?

SPEAKER_07 18:44

Yeah, so it's going to be the best for most parejos or round cigars. Um, that's gonna be Robusto, Toro, Churchill, Corona, Gordo's, the most standard round cigar. Um, that's gonna create an open draw, and it really lets you control how much of the cap you can remove.

SPEAKER_08 19:05

Absolutely. So Ju said he loves his cutter, it's a Clevery dual cut V cut on one side and a shred on the other. Um, Alex said my cutter will depend on what I want the cigar to do, and I agree with that a hundred percent, Alex. It's a great point. Yep. Um, because the draw and burn of your cigar and even burn, an easy draw, consistent flavor happens often because of the type of cut you do. So we really think the straight cutter, definitely that guillotine or a perfect cut, is ideal for smokers who enjoy balance and predictability. The downside, Mel.

SPEAKER_07 19:40

Yes, that is if you cut too deep, then you can remove too much of that cap, and that is going to cause the cigar potentially to unravel.

SPEAKER_08 19:50

Yeah, so basically it's easier to have an error when you're cutting with a street, a straight cut. It's really easy to overcut, and it can be difficult to get that perfect fine cut.

SPEAKER_05 20:00

Right.

SPEAKER_08 20:01

Um, unless you utilize what we call a perfect cut.

SPEAKER_05 20:04

Right.

SPEAKER_08 20:04

Um, and we do have one here tonight. I was actually surprised. We just got these new in our shop. They're called the shark.

SPEAKER_05 20:10

Yep.

SPEAKER_08 20:10

And I didn't realize, even though it's a double guillotine, it actually has a perfect cut on the back. So you can just shave or you can just plunge it in there and cut. Yeah, that helps you have a good cut every time.

SPEAKER_07 20:23

And Vertigo, it really makes one of the best perfect cuts out there. Um, however, you do have to be careful, depending on the size of your cigar, that matters as well. Some perfect cutters are still gonna shave too much off of the top when you're cutting a smaller cigar.

SPEAKER_08 20:41

So true. If it, you know, like a Neanderthal with a perfect cut's gonna butcher it. You've got to use one that doesn't have a perfect cut so you can just trim that cap off.

SPEAKER_05 20:49

Yep.

SPEAKER_08 20:49

Um, so the next one is really a V-cutter, and that V-cut has become so popular, you're seeing it more and more all over the place.

SPEAKER_07 20:57

Yeah, so I love a V-cut personally, um, it's gonna create a wedge or really a channel in the head of the cigar instead of just cutting straight across. Um, it really can concentrate the draw and sometimes it intensifies the smoke on the palate.

SPEAKER_08 21:14

Yeah, and I really like V-cuts or a V-cutter when I'm smoking a larger ring gauge cigar. And I know this is gonna be controversial, but I really love a V-cut on a figurado.

SPEAKER_07 21:25

Yeah, yeah. I mean, that's really the same for me, especially if I want an open walk, open the draw up and not take too much off of the cap.

SPEAKER_08 21:35

Yeah, absolutely. But a bad V-cutter can be brutal.

SPEAKER_07 21:39

Yes, a dull V cutter is going to tear or rip up instead of cut. And if the V is too deep on the cigar, it can really damage that structure.

SPEAKER_08 21:50

Yeah, so let's talk about punch cutters for a moment.

SPEAKER_07 21:52

Uh punch cutters. So I used a punch cut exclusively on any cigar for about a year. I don't know if you remember my. My punch cutting phase. Um, it is going to be a small circular plug from the cap. And it's very convenient, it's easy to use, it helps preserve the cap structure, and it's also great for very many of the round cigars.

SPEAKER_08 22:18

Yeah. So why would you not recommend a punch for every cigar?

SPEAKER_07 22:22

So punch cutters don't work super well on torpedoes or perfectoes or the pointed head cigars, even though some people have those little tricks and the ways they like to use a punch. Uh, like I said during my punch only only phase, I used it on everything. Uh, but on some cigars, a punch can concentrate, um, tar or create a tighter draw.

SPEAKER_08 22:46

Yeah, and sometimes your punch is opening up is too small for the amount of smoke that you really want, or the output, or the moisture that's being pulled through it, so it can create some problems. Other times it can feel a little tight, or the draw is a little harder than desired. Yeah, so you might have to play with that one a little bit.

SPEAKER_07 23:04

Right. Uh, and when that occurs, you can add a second punch next to the first one, or you can carefully open it with a straight cut if you're comfortable with that.

SPEAKER_08 23:14

That's a great tip. And Alex said, you know, a punch cutter um are great to compensate for a loose draw, um, which I agree um a hundred percent. Um, if I'm punching with a smaller gauge, like the ones found on the bottom of many lighters, um, I'll actually punch two holes next to each other. I'll kind of go off to the left and then to the right and really punch that hole twice to open up the draw.

SPEAKER_05 23:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 23:38

Um, on a larger ring gauge cigar, if I end up having is a small punch, I may put three or four holes in there. But you have to be careful so you don't rip the tobacco out the top and create a completely different problem.

SPEAKER_07 23:49

Right. Then, of course, you have the cigar scissors.

SPEAKER_08 23:53

Yeah, and they look elegant, but I do not like them personally at all. I've never cut a good cigar with scissors.

SPEAKER_07 24:01

I think I've used cigar scissors once or twice. Um, they can make a very beautiful cut if they're sharp and they are used correctly, and they give great control, but they definitely require a steady hand. So you're not going to be using cigar scissors probably ever on the podcast because you talk with your hands a lot. I move my hands around, that would be a disaster.

SPEAKER_08 24:24

Absolutely. So, what about binding the cap?

SPEAKER_07 24:26

Oh man. So you have been we've talked about this on other shows. You can bite the cap off of your cigar and smoke it just fine. I am not gifted, and I've seen multiple people do this uh more than once, especially when we're at the factory or we're at an event rolling, or if we're driving around in the golf cart, or if we're having meetings with other uh cigar people and they're like, oh, I'm gonna just grab one more. I don't have a cutter, and they they don't wait for me to hand them my cutter, they just use their teeth. Um, I don't recommend it personally unless you are stranded on a fishing boat with no cutter. I mean, then you do what you gotta do. But if you are in a lounge with access to tools, then I would always recommend using a cutter.

SPEAKER_08 25:09

Yeah, so I was at a cigar shop uh a few days ago, smoked a cigar, I had a second cigar, I just left my cutter in the car for some reason, and the guy sitting next to me, I was gonna ask him if I could buy his borrow his cutter, but he cut a cigar, stuck it in his mouth, went back, cut another one, and then he licked his cigar, took a draw and it's like still not enough, and cut it.

SPEAKER_07 25:32

I was like, bite it it is, and so I just bit it off.

SPEAKER_08 25:38

But you know, when we're at the factory walking around, that's what you do. Like the first time we were at the factory and I asked for a lighter, they're like, just bite it off. And like just use your finger, use your teeth, and just scrape it down because that cap is so delicately on there, it just pulls off and you're ready to rock and roll.

SPEAKER_07 25:56

I can't do it.

SPEAKER_08 25:57

I do it often on the golf cart a lot.

SPEAKER_07 26:00

You do, I'm but I've it's not for me.

SPEAKER_08 26:02

It is one of those things. So, Mel, what's the cigar rebel recommendation on the right cutter for a cigar?

SPEAKER_07 26:07

So I think every cigar smoker should have a good straight cutter, a good V cutter if you enjoy that draw style, and maybe a punch for convenience.

SPEAKER_08 26:19

Yeah, and the biggest key is for the love of all things cigars. When it gets dull, move on. Yes, get a sharper. That's why I love the vertigo, the plastic ones that are four or five dollars. Uh, these $20 sharks, which are and there might even be $15, they're spectacular. Because when it gets dull, I don't feel bad about chunking it and grabbing another one.

SPEAKER_07 26:46

Yeah, I agree. It's not like my beloved lighter that I will keep forever. Yeah, um, a cutter I will absolutely throw away. So spin up lighters. Now we're gonna move on and top lighters.

SPEAKER_08 26:57

So there are before we jump to lighters, let's try Ray said that he's always punched multiple times, never once. I agree with you, man. He also said he had introduced a guy to cutters because thought that was why caps were on the cigars, and so absolutely uh getting to so back to lighters.

SPEAKER_07 27:15

Yes, so there are several ways to light a cigar. There's soft flames, there's torch flames, there's matches, um, there's cedar, and then there are things really that you should not use to light your cigar.

SPEAKER_08 27:29

Yeah, never ever use a candle or a propane heater. Um, honestly, one time I did. I wasn't thinking about it. I we were actually here at Stories, it was before we opened by about two months. I got here, I couldn't get in the back door. Chris was on his way. I was sitting outside, but we already had the heater set up outside, and I had a Xeno uh cigar, and I didn't have a lighter or cutter on me. I searched my car, I didn't have one on me. Um, my backpack was already in the car because we both ran errands, and so I lit up the propane grill and lit my cigar with it. Oh, it ruined me. I couldn't have it took me 18 months to smoke that cigar again. I remember that because it was awful. Yeah, just all of those chemicals introduced to the cigar was brutal.

SPEAKER_07 28:21

Yep.

SPEAKER_08 28:21

Um, so do not use candles, do not use propane to light a cigar.

SPEAKER_07 28:26

Yes, you do not want to light your cigar, especially with a scented candle, unless you want your cigar to have uh flavor notes of vanilla pumpkin, uh, regret, all of those things.

SPEAKER_08 28:39

You don't want to so let's talk soft flames, my least favorite.

SPEAKER_07 28:43

Yeah, so a soft flame is going to be lighter um and is like a traditional or a thick or lighter flame. So DuPont is probably the most famous soft flame lighter right now on the market. It's gonna be get out of here, fly. It's gonna be gentler, it's gonna be cooler, um, it's gonna be more elegant. Um, it works really well indoors and outside, especially if there's no wind.

SPEAKER_08 29:12

Yeah, absolutely. It it doesn't work great outdoors. Um, recently, um, last year at our um Stories Christmas party, Chris got us all these um fancier big lighters that worked really well. Um, and it's still like lighting it is patient and it takes time, but it still is like one of those things that it sets in my drawer and it's there because it was a gift, right? But it's rarely ever grabbed. Right.

SPEAKER_07 29:39

I mean and the soft flame I think can be frustrating for a lot of people if the wind is moving a lot.

SPEAKER_08 29:45

Yeah, so the torch lighter uses a jet flame. So let's talk about the torch next.

SPEAKER_07 29:53

Yeah, so those are going to burn a lot hotter and is much more wind resistant. Uh torch lighters, they are going to be very common for cigar smokers.

SPEAKER_08 30:04

Yeah, and there are multiple styles of torch lighters, such as the single flame, a double flame, a triple flame, a quad flame. There's angled flames, there's flat flames. I mean, they're all over the place. Um, but there are some that are basically flamethrowers. We have a couple here in the lounge that you could be sitting six feet away and I could light your cigar.

SPEAKER_07 30:26

Yeah. Yes. So a torch, it is very effective, but they can also overheat or they can char the cigar if you put the flame directly into that tobacco.

SPEAKER_08 30:41

Honestly, Rebels, this is one of the biggest mistakes that people do is they jam the torch right into the foot of the cigar. So I'm just going to show you here. I'm not going to light it. But they take the lighter and they stick it right at the foot before they ignite it, and it's just right on there. It's kind of again like if you're grilling a good ribeye and you have it on the grate and you have a flame that's burled up around it, the flame isn't kissing it, it's just absolutely ruining it.

SPEAKER_05 31:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 31:11

And that's the same thing you're doing when you stick this torch right up to it.

SPEAKER_07 31:16

Yes, it's going to scorch the wrapper, it's going to char the tobacco. Um, it can really create all kinds of burn issues as the cigar progresses. Absolutely. And so that lighter, it really is and should toast and heat the cigar, not punish it. Like you're smoking a cigar to enjoy it. You don't want to punish yourself or the cigar.

SPEAKER_08 31:38

Yeah, absolutely. And it's honestly one of the biggest mistakes that has because not only does it scorch and char the tobacco, it can create all kinds of burn issues as the cigar progresses.

SPEAKER_05 31:49

Right.

SPEAKER_08 31:49

The ladder should toast and heat the cigar, not punish it.

SPEAKER_05 31:54

Yes.

SPEAKER_08 31:54

Let's jump to a couple of comments. Um, Raptor said I do V Cut regardless of cigar because it's idiot-proof. I did that for a long time. I run through cycles. Um, Dwayne, it's good to have you on tonight. Um, Alex said if I'm outside, I'll use a torch lighter, but honestly, I love my soft flame. It's slower and more deliberate way of lighting a cigar. And then, of course, everybody's excited to see popcorn on tonight. So it's good to have him. And so the lighters, I said, should really toast and heat the cigar and not punish the cigar.

SPEAKER_07 32:25

Yes. So patience, um, a little bit of finesse and those proper techniques are gonna provide a much better smoking experience. Um, next, we can talk about matches. Uh, matches work well, especially the long cedar matches. Um, if they are not long cedar matches made for cigars, you can still use them, but you need to be careful and let the sulfur burn off first, or that is really all you're gonna taste.

SPEAKER_08 32:59

Yeah, and so the sulfur matches are the small cardboard or thin wood matches. The sulfur provides a chemical compound that ignites the flame upon striking it. And you don't want to light your cigar with chemical first or chemical flare, you want to let that burn off.

SPEAKER_07 33:16

But cigar matches are great, yeah, and I think that's really good clarification. Um, let the match settle and then toast the foot.

unknown 33:25

Right.

SPEAKER_08 33:25

Cedar spills are another traditional option. Um, I actually said soft flames are my least favorite. Cedar spills are actually my worst. Um, they offer a gentle flame and a romantic feel is what people say. Yeah, but when I see someone grab a cedar spill, what I really think is they're giving off i read magazines vibe.

SPEAKER_07 33:46

Right. Yeah, cedar spills, they do work. It is just more work, I would say. Um the first you have to light it, and then uh you got to light your cigar. It just takes a lot of patience.

SPEAKER_08 34:01

Yeah, and so let's talk briefly about fuel. What fuel should people use for their torch flame?

SPEAKER_07 34:06

Ah, yes. I will say when it comes to fuel, I'm very particular about what I will use to refill my lighter. Uh, for torch lighters, you're gonna use a high-quality refined butane. Uh, cheap or dirty fuel is going to clog the jets and it's gonna create lighter problems.

SPEAKER_08 34:24

Yeah, and we've all had lighters that work perfectly at home and then refuse to work in public, or they refuse to work after we bought a butane at the gas station on the way home.

SPEAKER_07 34:34

Right. And every cigar smoker has been betrayed by a lighter at one point in their life.

SPEAKER_08 34:40

It's a hundred percent part of the journey.

SPEAKER_07 34:42

Yes. Something that will help with that is to make sure you are buying that premium fuel from a local cigar shop and not something maybe that you found at the convenience store. Um, you want clean fire, you don't want the flavor additives.

SPEAKER_08 34:56

Yeah, and I couldn't agree more. And so when you're buying butane, my suggestion is look for one that has a seam down the side that runs vertically up and down the can. If the only seam is at the top, then it's a cheaper butane. If it runs down the side, it is a more highly refined. Um, and there's brands out there, like most cigar shops, you see them, they're anywhere between five and nine dollars. It's worth the investment. You spend anywhere between eight and forty, fifty, maybe a hundred dollars on a cigar. You don't want a butane that's just a crappy quality.

SPEAKER_07 35:32

Yeah, I agree. That's great insights there. Um, coming up next, we are going to walk you through cutting and lighting a cigar really the right way. But first, we're gonna take a quick break.

SPEAKER_01 35:45

We fell in love with cigars not because of the flavors or smoking experience or perceived status, but because it allows barriers to fall between other humans and build deeper connections. For that reason, we've been super intentional to curate a space where people can find community and enjoyment with others, and cigars just happen to be the way we're doing it. For that reason, we are thrilled to be the one and only cigar retail store and lounge in downtown Loving. A good story is one of the most powerful tools used to connect with another human. Sharing stories fades out differences and highlights similarities found in the details or with the storyteller. Over the years, we have seen some of the best stories told over cigars, and thus, new friendships are made, passion shared, encouragement data, and so much more. The impact storytelling has on the human connection is why we've decided to name our store and lounge our stories. Because behind every good cigar and conversation is an even better story.

SPEAKER_02 36:54

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SPEAKER_03 37:41

Big Sky Cigar. We're heritage full with whatever draw. Find your rear red big sky cigar to poping points as always.

SPEAKER_07 37:53

Thank you to our sponsors. Uh, let's go ahead and take a look at upcoming shows.

SPEAKER_08 37:58

Yeah. Sorry.

SPEAKER_07 38:02

No, you're good.

SPEAKER_08 38:03

So next week, July 13th, um, we have mobile cigar lounges, a discussion with Simple Man Mobile Cigars. They're gonna be right sitting right here with us at Stories, and we're gonna be smoking The Lone Star Attitude by the Elevated Humidor.

SPEAKER_07 38:16

Yes, July 20th, we are doing boutique and craft cigars and talking about if there is a difference. On that one, we'll be smoking the intemperance treachery by Roma Craft.

SPEAKER_08 38:26

On July 27th, we've got a great episode coming up. Gathering Place, Cigars Friendships in the last third place.

SPEAKER_07 38:33

Yes.

SPEAKER_08 38:33

And we're smoking the CAO Flathead Speed Shop.

SPEAKER_07 38:37

Then we will be diving into August. On August 3rd, we will be going over cigar recommendations and we will do recommending cigars for every level of cigar smoker. And on that one, we will be smoking the McAuliffe White.

SPEAKER_08 38:50

How are we talking August already? I mean, it should be like February.

SPEAKER_07 38:54

I don't know. You you you know me. Once 4th of July is over, I'm counting down to fall.

SPEAKER_08 38:58

I that's true. I'm ready for cool weather and Halloween and fall cigars. Um, as we mentioned, if you've been smoking along with the show, if you haven't grabbed the Rebel pack, it is $43 for five cigars that includes shipping and tax. It comes to around the 20th of every month, and you get all cigars that we're smoking on a month that there's four um weeks instead of five, then you just have a bonus cigar. Um, so far to date, our average value is just over um sixty-eight dollars. And so it's a great value to get in your hand, and you can find that at the Elevated Humidores website. And so um, Mel, let's talk about this cigar for a second. I'm way further along than you are, but it's great because we're gonna cut and light another cigar here in a minute as we're talking about cutting and lighting.

SPEAKER_05 39:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 39:43

Um, you probably will stick with that one. I'll move on. Um, but let's talk about this paladin by Hooton Young. We're smoking the Connecticut.

SPEAKER_07 39:50

Yeah, so the creaminess of it has uh really stuck through, you know, on the cold draw, we mentioned it. Um, it's really stuck through for me. Um, and it has kind of coated my palate a little bit. Um, it's got some nuttiness in there. Um, and it's it's really good, you know.

SPEAKER_08 40:09

Yeah, it's really coating my palate on the retro hell. There's these really nice roasted characteristics. Um, scent uh scental, I can't talk. Simple hint there of white pepper that I really get on the retro hell. It's on the finish a little bit too because there's just a tiny little bit of tingling on the inside of my bottom lip, um, which I sometimes get there the back of my throat with that white pepper, sometimes a citrus kind of zest.

SPEAKER_05 40:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 40:36

Um, um, I'm pretty far in. It's also picked up a little bit more. Okay. Um, so it kind of mellowed out a little bit and then it kind of strengthened up a little bit. Um, so the complexity's been great. It's not been a boring smoke at all.

SPEAKER_07 40:48

The construction has been very good. Um, yeah, it's evenly.

SPEAKER_08 40:53

I've had to do a couple of relights, um, but it's primarily because I've been talking with my hands and I just feel like it's more of a me issue than the cigar. Um, but let's get right back tonight's topic.

SPEAKER_07 41:05

All right, so we are finally getting to it. We're going to do cutting and lighting uh the right way. And I will preface this with we have done um some tobacco 101s that deal with cutting and lighting, and our audience was very nervous after the fact because they did not feel like they were cutting and lighting their cigars the right way. And most specifically, I'm sure it's a compliment, but they were nervous to do it around you after that. So as we're walking through this, just know we're not, well, I'm not judging you, however, you cutting and lighting your cigar. I'm not gonna speak for you.

SPEAKER_08 41:38

The other people at the cigar lens might be judging you, but we're not judging you.

SPEAKER_07 41:42

So just have to have to throw that out there.

SPEAKER_08 41:46

So, Mel, why don't you go ahead and walk us through cutting and lighting a cigar?

SPEAKER_07 41:49

Right. So, first you are going to inspect the cigar, um, and you're going to want to look at the head and also find that cap line. So it's gonna be hard to see this far away, but there on the cigar is a very noticeable cap line. Um, and so most premium cigars, they are going to have that visible cap. Uh, some are gonna have a triple cap, and some have the cap, and then also they have a shoulder, as we talked about earlier. Um, you're going to be looking for the line where the cap is going to meet the body.

SPEAKER_08 42:23

Yeah, and that's really that top line. The highest line you can see on that cigar is the cap, right?

SPEAKER_07 42:30

Yes.

SPEAKER_08 42:31

And that's where people need to slow down and inspect their cigars.

SPEAKER_07 42:34

Right. So you don't just want to grab and chop. First, you want to pause and you want to look. Uh, second, you're going to choose your cutter. And tonight I'm going to be using this straight cutter here that you had pointed out earlier. Um, and then third, you're going to position the cigar. And really, this one has a perfect cut on the back. And honestly, I'm just setting it in there, just kind of for placement. And I'm just going to do a quick cut and get that nice, clean, even cut. Now, if you're using a public cutter, like you had mentioned earlier, you had seen some of that. If you're curious about the draw, take a draw from the foot of the cigar to test the airflow, because then if you need to recut, you can use that public cutter and you're not sharing your saliva with the person who's going to be using that cutter next.

SPEAKER_08 43:29

Yeah, that's great advice, is always drawing through the foot gives you that opportunity or blowing through the foot. Um, but uh really the key phrase in all that is the smallest amount necessary.

SPEAKER_05 43:43

Yes.

SPEAKER_08 43:44

Because you can always cut off more, but you cannot put tobacco back in.

SPEAKER_07 43:49

Yes. And that is a key phrase right there. It's kind of like talking. You know, you can always say more, but once you say maybe something you're not supposed to, that's never coming back. You're never getting that back. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_08 44:02

And as you saw Mel cutting, she's going to want to cut the least amount off of that as possible.

SPEAKER_05 44:09

Yes.

SPEAKER_08 44:10

And just I'm going to demonstrate again here because this one has she kind of held down because it's got a perfect cut. But if you don't have a perfect cut, you just want to line it up just there. You want to get a little pressure where you can hold the cigar. I'm not cutting it, I'm just holding it. But when it's time to actually cut it, you want to put quick. You don't want to slowly squeeze it. You want to get it to where it's firm, and then you want to chop it.

SPEAKER_07 44:35

Yep. That is.

SPEAKER_08 44:36

Because otherwise you will crush the cigar.

SPEAKER_07 44:39

Yep. So really you want to line it up, you want steady pressure, and then you want the quick cut. And then you can check the draw. And if it if you feel like it's not enough, you can go back and repeat that same motion.

SPEAKER_08 44:51

Yeah, absolutely. And like you said, if it's your cutter, you can take a cold draw from the head of the cigar, like this one.

unknown 44:59

Yep.

SPEAKER_08 45:00

There's a phenomenal draw on that with that cut. Um, you can still see the top line. I didn't I said that was maybe a sixteenth of an inch deep, and I probably cut a 30-second off.

SPEAKER_05 45:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 45:14

So about half. So there's still a lot of cap still on this cigar. Yep. Um, and you're able to really do that. If it's tight or it's loose, you can always cut a little bit more if needed.

SPEAKER_07 45:25

Yep, 100%.

SPEAKER_08 45:27

But what if it's too tight, Mel? What do you do then?

SPEAKER_07 45:29

So, first you can try and cut a tiny bit more if there is cap left to do that safely. On these, there is still plenty if you wanted to go in a second time. You could easily do that. Uh, that's not true for all cigars, that's why it's good to inspect your cigar and the cap. Um, but you do want to be careful, you don't want to tunnel through the cigar aggressively and damage that structure.

SPEAKER_08 45:56

Absolutely. And what if the draw is just simply too loose?

SPEAKER_07 46:00

I mean, really, there's not a lot you can do for a loose draw. That may be uh construction, or it could be that maybe you cut too much. Um, again, it's it's hard, it's hard to really judge that, but you really can just slow down your puffing to avoid overheating it at that point.

SPEAKER_08 46:18

Yeah, and that's a great point because a loose cigar can burn hot if you're a faster smoker. I'm a faster smoker most of the time. Um, before we move on too far, I want to talk a little bit about um the little bro by Vertigo has a perfect cut like this on the back. The shark does. Uh for a perfect cut, if you're on the golf course in your cart or riding around the golf cart, um, I keep a perfect cut in my car because I can recut another cigar at a stoplight. Or we travel a lot. If I'm on the highway, it's easy for me to either pull over or just hand the melt a cut for me real quick if she's with me. And it's easy to cut in the car. So I definitely recommend, even if you love the precision of a guillotine, it makes sense to have a perfect cut for the right situation because it's just so easy. And very rarely does it not create the perfect cut. On a Figueroa, we smoked uh a Figueroa driving home yesterday from the Fort Worth area, and I just cut the Figueroa four times with that perfect cut. I just clipped it four times to get it to the right space and move on. I was in my car, it made it easy, and so just that perfect cut's helpful.

SPEAKER_07 47:33

So great tip. Um, uh, we had talked about other cutters for the V cut. The process is going to be very similar. You can place the head in the cutter, you can make sure it's centered, and then again, you're gonna press very firmly and very quickly. And the V should be clean and even on that if you are using a V cutter.

SPEAKER_08 47:51

Yeah, walk us through using a punch.

SPEAKER_07 47:53

So for a punch, you're going to place the punch in the center of the cap and you're going to apply gentle pressure. You're gonna twist it and remove the plug. So don't drive the punch too deep, or again, you can run into that cracking, um, all of those things. Also, look at your punch cutter, inspect it. I had one that had a little nick up on the side, right where the end of the punch cutter was to where the part is that you would hold, and I realized it was destroying the cap of my cigar in the twist. And so I'll I had another one. I just used that one.

SPEAKER_08 48:28

But yeah, and you don't want to drive the punch in too deep, and you also don't want to use it on a dryer cigar because you end up cracking the cap. Um, so Mel, talking about torpedoes and figurados.

SPEAKER_07 48:40

So, torpedoes and figurados, they need a little bit of extra care, and that's because the head is going to be tapered, so you can control the draw by how far down you're cutting. So, you want to start really small. Again, it's always easy to go back and cut more if you need to. You're going to cut less than you think, and then you want to test the draw, and then you can cut more if you need to cut more.

SPEAKER_08 49:05

Yeah, and that's probably the biggest torpedo or Figueroa rule. Start small and then increase if needed.

SPEAKER_07 49:12

Right. With a torpedo, a small cut can still create a good draw because of the shape, uh, concentrates airflow there. And you had mentioned earlier, some torpedoes um you can still utilize that B cut or even a punch at times and still end with a great draw. Um, that just shows you that you don't need a deep cut in order to have that excellent draw on a torpedo.

SPEAKER_08 49:39

Yeah, absolutely. It's a great point. And if you cut too far, now you have a very expensive mistake.

SPEAKER_07 49:45

Yeah, so here are some very common cutting mistakes, and this is where a lot of people learn. Um, mistake number one is going to be that you cut too much.

SPEAKER_08 49:54

Yeah, and that's the classic mistake that we've all done.

SPEAKER_07 49:57

Yes, if you cut below the cap, the wrapper can unravel, and this is going to be the most common issue. Um, mistake number two is going to be using the dole cutter.

SPEAKER_08 50:07

Yeah, this crushes or simply tears the tobacco. You end up with tobacco in your mouth, your cigar may crack, and honestly, it ends up creating draw and burn issues that we end up blaming on the cigar or the brand or the roller.

SPEAKER_07 50:22

Yeah, and that sometimes you don't know. I think every cigar smoker has used a dole cutter because sometimes you don't know that they're dull until you've gone through a cigar or two and they're just not cutting the way that they should.

SPEAKER_05 50:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 50:33

Um, so that that's one you might not know it's dull until it happens to you. Um, and then mistake number three is going to be cutting at the angle accidentally. Um, that can create an uneven draw or really an awkward mouthfeel.

SPEAKER_08 50:46

Absolutely. This one's so easy to do, especially with a tabletop cutter or a standing cutter. Um, we have a really nice cutter that sits on our coffee bar just by our back door. And you press, you stick the cigar on the side and you press down on it. And the other day I was doing that, I was talking to Mel, and so I had it pressed in when I cut that cut was at a complete angle, almost like a 45 or 60 degree angle. And the next thing you know, the mouthfeel was a little awkward. Um, and then I had some burn issues with the cigar kind of canoeing, and I think it's because it was more airflow on one side of the cigar than the other. I can't prove that, but it was user error.

SPEAKER_07 51:23

Yeah, and bonus tip for those tabletop cutters. Usually there are multiple cutters in a row. Watch your fingers when you are cutting a cigar. We have known a person or two that has accidentally stuck their finger in one of the open holes that's there for the cigar, and it is never a great, that's probably worse than ruining the cigar, honestly. If you ruin your finger, but yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_08 51:44

So tell us about it.

SPEAKER_07 51:46

Mistake number four is going to be using the wrong cutter for the shape, unless you are experimenting or you have done it before. So punching a torpedo would be a great example for that.

SPEAKER_08 51:56

Yeah, and mistake number five, Bill.

SPEAKER_07 51:58

Yeah, that's not checking the draw before lighting, because once it's lit, the problems really do get more complicated.

SPEAKER_08 52:05

Yeah, and can you save a bad cut?

SPEAKER_07 52:07

So sometimes you can. Um, if the cap starts unraveling, you can use a small amount of pectin cigar glue, but that becomes messy, and you always have to keep it on hand with you. Um, I had one cigar once, and there was a tear, probably like right up here by the shoulder. And I don't recommend this, but I really wanted to smoke the cigar. It was the only one I had. I knew that I wouldn't be smoking that far up, so I did put a little piece of tape over it because the it had a crack through it throughout. And so putting that tiny little piece of tape saved all that airflow. Um, but again, that's I I just didn't want to smoke anything else. That was a cigar I've been looking forward to all day. So um, some people also can use a little bit of moisture carefully to press the wrapper down, but that again also is temporary.

SPEAKER_08 52:55

Yeah, in the end, just tearing the top is what I do. I'll end up just grabbing where it's unraveling and I'll just hold it and kind of rip it off cleanly. And so now the mouth feels different because my mouth's on the binder, the wrapper's gone at that point, but the rest of the wrapper's on there, it doesn't impact the flavor a ton, not recommended to do, but it's what I end up doing because I just don't want to screw with it. Yeah, it's just the easiest thing to do. Um, sometimes it keeps the cigar from unraveling because I can hold it there, other times it doesn't.

SPEAKER_07 53:27

Yeah, 100%. If you cut too little, again, that's really an easy fix. You just have to cut a little bit more off of your cigar. Um, but if you cut too much, the best fix really is patience and careful handling. Or if you are dead set on smoking that cigar, finding a way to make it work, you know?

SPEAKER_08 53:47

Absolutely. So let's move on to lighting. How do we light?

SPEAKER_07 53:52

Yeah, so the important word for that is going to be very slowly, or just slowly, maybe no very.

SPEAKER_08 53:58

Yeah, and that's the important part, right? For lighting, we're going to provide two ways that are both the right way. Toast and light is up first.

SPEAKER_07 54:08

Yes, and that is going to be step one. So that is going to be to toast the foot. Yeah, you can do that one. Um you want to talk about it or you want to light and all that. Talk about it. Okay. So you want to hold the flame and then bring the cigar at an angle between 45 and 90 degrees to the flame, as you can see, as Kevin is demonstrating right now.

SPEAKER_08 54:31

And so what I'm doing here is I'm just getting the flame, the hottest part of the flame is actually about an inch above where you can see it. And I'm just moving it around the flame to actually just kind of see it. And what I'm looking for is those little bitty red flashes right around the edge, so that I can actually see it flaring up. And what I'm doing is I'm toasting the cigar, I'm not lighting it. And what the toasting is doing is it's kind of melding the wrapper and the binder together, and then the binder to the outer leaf of the filler. Right. So that's toasting the cigar. So it's toasted. What do I do next, Mel?

SPEAKER_07 55:09

Um, so after that, uh, you really, when you're toasting the cigar, you are trying not to incinerate the cigar. You're really warming and preparing the tobacco up for that.

SPEAKER_08 55:23

Yeah. So then next, I want to take it and I want to put it in my mouth and light it. So talk us through that.

SPEAKER_07 55:29

Um, so for that, once the foot is toasted, like you have done, you can bring the cigar to your mouth like you're doing right now, and you're going to bring that flame really near the foot and just draw gently while you're rotating the cigar because you want to get that nice even burn on there. Um, and you're gonna want to do really small, smaller puffs on that because you're trying to pull the flame evenly across the foot, not create that furnace on your cigar.

SPEAKER_08 56:02

And so you can tell, then you can check it for the nice cherry on the end.

SPEAKER_07 56:07

Right.

SPEAKER_08 56:08

So I've lit that cigar and it's burning perfectly, right? And it's not charred along the sides, it's got an even burn.

SPEAKER_07 56:15

Yep. And that's gonna kind of lead us into step three, which is going to be to check that foot of your cigar to see how evenly you've lit it. Um, you can gently blow on it if you need to. You want that even orange-reddish glow kind of across the foot. Um, if one section's not lit, you can go back and touch it up just so it's all you're looking for that nice even toast.

SPEAKER_08 56:41

So, Mel, tell us why it is important to rotate it while I'm lighting the cigar. You mentioned it, but tell us about it.

SPEAKER_07 56:47

So, it's important to rotate while you are lighting the cigar because it keeps the heat even. Um, a lot of uneven burn problems, they start with the uneven light. Absolutely, and that's a huge issue if it's not evenly lit. You get an uneven burn or different scorched flavors.

SPEAKER_08 57:10

There's so many different problems with it. So, how long should this entire process take?

SPEAKER_07 57:14

20 minutes. No, I'm just kidding, not that long. Uh, so honestly, 30 to 45 seconds, probably longer than most people think, yeah, right.

SPEAKER_08 57:24

It should take a little bit of time, especially on a larger ring-gauge cigar.

SPEAKER_07 57:29

Right. Um, I think patience, a patient light really is one of the best gifts that you can give yourself or your cigar.

SPEAKER_08 57:37

That sounds like a lounge poster that we need to have in every cigar lounge in America. Well, is a patient light is one of the best gifts you can give your cigar.

SPEAKER_07 57:45

Well, we got Chris here tonight. He can file that idea away for uh new lounge decor.

SPEAKER_08 57:52

Um so let's talk lighting mistakes.

SPEAKER_07 57:54

Right. So, mistake number one is going to be putting the torch directly into or onto the cigar. Uh, that can scorch the tobacco and it's gonna create those harsh, bitter flavors like we talked about earlier.

SPEAKER_08 58:07

Yeah, so I'm gonna demonstrate here if this my cigar, I'm gonna hold it next to it. But if I'm doing this and I'm the flame is up into the barrel of the cigar, it is brutal. You're going to be scorching into the cigar, lighting tobacco that you're totally gonna scorch and burn. Yeah, and then even though you might have a good burn on the end, it just looked awful.

SPEAKER_07 58:30

Yeah, I was glad you did on the side. I was like, don't scorch that cigar. That's a that's a great cigar.

SPEAKER_08 58:35

So I intentionally hit the cigar a little bit to create an uneven burn um because we were talking about the different cigars earlier, and so I just wanted to use this as a highlight to touch up. I rarely will touch this up, but I actually hit it a little bit on the side while you were talking off camera because I wanted it to be a little awkward.

SPEAKER_05 58:54

Yep.

SPEAKER_08 58:55

So if I'm going to touch up this cigar, which normally I wouldn't, I would just let it burn.

SPEAKER_05 58:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 58:59

But if it gets to where the canoeing is too far, because this is a very mild canoe, what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna take the lighter again, I'm gonna hold it out in front, and then I'm gonna bring the cigar down to it till I can see just a little bit of that burn, and there it's touched up and it's now pretty even. And I'm gonna rotate the cigar and just simply get the burn a little bit. So I'm now back even. But if you can notice how far the lighter is, I see people do this when they're doing it, and that's brutal. I'm coming from down here and bringing the lighter up till I right now it's hitting it and it's red, but now I've fixed the canoe, I'm back to being almost perfectly even, and it'll be very enjoyable smoke.

SPEAKER_07 59:40

Yeah. Um, so that's gonna lead us into some of the other more common mistakes, which mistake number two is going to be only lighting that center. Um, the center, if it's lit, you can, but the rest isn't, you can run into tunneling, and that's gonna make some burn issues for you.

SPEAKER_08 59:57

Yeah, and that's really when the um center is burning much, much hotter than the outside of the cigar.

SPEAKER_07 1:00:05

Yeah. Yes. Um, mistake number three, Mel. Yeah, so only lighting the wrapper edge, um, but not the center, that is going to create a canoeing or an uneven burn issue.

SPEAKER_08 1:00:16

Yeah, and you need to ensure that your entire cigar is toasted, then lit, wrapper and binder, and then filler.

SPEAKER_07 1:00:23

Right. Mistake number four is puffing too hard while you're lighting. That's going to overheat the cigar. So we mentioned when you were lighting it earlier, you want to take a nice light draw on it.

SPEAKER_08 1:00:34

Absolutely, because what happens is it ends up overheating the cigar and it gets hot, and the flavor can become a little bitter quickly.

SPEAKER_07 1:00:41

Right. Mistake number five is lighting in heavy wind and really not paying attention. Uh, the wind can push that flame and cause one side to burn hotter. And so you want to turn away from the wind.

SPEAKER_08 1:00:54

Absolutely. You want to turn away, you want to shield the flame, you want to take your time. And the key to lighting your cigar, regardless of if you're sitting in a lounge or on your deck in a windy day, is patience.

SPEAKER_07 1:01:08

Yes, 100%.

SPEAKER_08 1:01:09

And this is really the part that people underappreciate or underestimate.

SPEAKER_07 1:01:14

Right. And I we say all this, we talk about it, we're making it sound like it's this huge, long, drawn out process. But really, once you do it half six times or however many times, it just kind of becomes like a muscle memory, and you just know what to do.

SPEAKER_08 1:01:28

Yeah, and if the cigar has construction issues, that still might show up, but at least you didn't create the problem. Right. And that's really a peace of mind, right? So I want to walk you through just briefly the other right way to light a cigar. Mel, can I light your other cigar? And so this one is really what I call um the slow torch or the slow toast. And so I'm gonna hold it this way. I'm gonna hold my lighter, I'm gonna bring my cigar over here, and I'm gonna still go ahead and take this really nice, simple light around the edge. I'm gonna toast it just like I did before. I'm gonna get it nice and toast. I can see those little sparks around the edge that's looking beautiful, and then I'm gonna rotate the cigar and I'm gonna bring it here, and I'm now having more of a 45-degree angle. I'm still way far away from the cigar. I'm good two inches, and I'm just gonna rotate around that cigar and get it nice and lit. Okay, and I might come up a little closer as I'm seeing the red flame and the cherry on that end get nice and drawn. I can see the black spots, and I'm just toasting it a little bit, but now I'm slow torching it, and I can see a total red glow. I still haven't burned the sides at all. It's still got a very even burn line, and that cigar is lit and ready to smoke it. It the draw was a little, so I'm gonna toast a little bit more. And now that's a well-lit cigar.

SPEAKER_07 1:03:05

Did you just take two draws of my cigar?

SPEAKER_08 1:03:07

I took two draws of your cigar.

SPEAKER_07 1:03:09

That's all right. Uh so we were going, we you kind of demonstrated a little bit on how to do some touch-ups. So I think that was really good to show them because you had done that one specifically for that. Um, to do that. And like you had said, we don't oftentimes touch up the cigar unless you absolutely have to.

SPEAKER_08 1:03:30

Um but when you're lighting a cigar or touching up the cigar, it's so important to realize that you're not welding or trying to start a massive fire. Because several things can really cause an uneven burn mill.

SPEAKER_07 1:03:44

Right. There are a lot of things.

SPEAKER_08 1:03:47

Um, sometimes, I mean, it could be it could be the construction of it, but it's an uneven life, it's wind, it's smoking too fast, overhumidification.

SPEAKER_07 1:03:58

If you're in the climate that you're in, like you had said, if it's windy, if it's hot, if it's dry, if it's humid.

SPEAKER_08 1:04:04

Yeah, and so basically don't automatically panic or blame the cigar. Take your time and be patient. And one key reminder is we do not have time to get into the details tonight, but to ensure the pacing of your cigar is good. Taking a draw about every 45 seconds to a minute. A nice slow smoke keeps it lit, keeps it burning. Rotate your cigar as you're smoking it. I like to rotate it around. I typically go counterclockwise. Sometimes I go clockwise, but I just naturally go counter. And that really is you want to get into a good rhythm, about one puff every 45 seconds to a minute.

SPEAKER_07 1:04:45

Right. And that's a really good starting point. You don't need to watch the clock, uh, but it is good to slow down, especially if you are learning the proper ways to cut and light your cigar. Uh, and a cigar is really supposed to be a relaxed time. Um, if you're constantly uh puffing it or you're raising the temperature inside the cigar, that's going to change the overall flavor.

SPEAKER_08 1:05:09

And the cigar will tell you a hot smoke, a bitter smoke, a fast burn, it really does impact the cigar. Yeah. Let's talk briefly, because we're already over time tonight, about the relight. If your cigar goes out, you're going to light it the exact same way. The only difference is you can see the ash on the cigar. Um, this one's still lit, so I'm not going to relight it, but you would knock the ash off, and then you would blow through the cigar to exhaust the chamber, get all the smoke out of there, get all the tobacco particles off the end off, and then you're going to start the process over by slowly toasting it and then lighting it, or slowly torching it, whatever your preference is. But for tonight, that's been the right way to cut and light a cigar. Mel, what's your final thoughts on the paladin Connecticut?

SPEAKER_07 1:06:00

Yeah, so this, I mean, this cigar has been really good for me. It definitely uh the profile maybe has deepened a little bit as I'm almost I've I'm about I've got about a third of it left. And so I'm still waiting. I'm picking up a little bit of that white pepper that you had said, but not a ton yet. I just don't know that I'm yeah at that transition.

SPEAKER_08 1:06:20

And I've moved on to this velvet spice by the Lady Humidor, but um on that paladin, um, that finish, the cedar picked way up and the white pepper picked up right at the end, and that probably last inch and a half. Yeah, um, I smoked mine down to about maybe uh three-quarters of an inch left, yeah. Um, and then put it down. Um, but it smoked very well, the construction was great. Yeah, um, was really enjoyed that.

SPEAKER_07 1:06:46

It was great, and it was great for this episode because it had really good construction, yeah, it had great airflow, everything that you're looking for.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:53

It was easy to light, all those absolutely things.

SPEAKER_07 1:06:57

So uh thank you guys all for joining us today. If you liked this episode, please leave us a review, share with your cigar friends, and hit us up with any topics you would love for us to cover in future episodes.

SPEAKER_08 1:07:08

Yeah, tonight was a topic requested by one of you rebels. They asked that we do some cigar 101 about once every four to six weeks. So we have that planned into the episode schedule, and this was one of them.

SPEAKER_05 1:07:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 1:07:19

And so thank you for sending in suggestions. We want to hear from you guys. If you're watching or listening on the replay, drop us a comment with hashtag replayfam and click the notify button so you don't miss an episode. Right. Next week, we have a great episode for you, Rebels. As we talked about earlier, we're really excited to come and chat with you guys and introduce you to Dale and Delayah of Simple Man Mobile Cigars. They're gonna be right here in studio with us smoking the LSA by the elevated humidor.

SPEAKER_07 1:07:48

I'm excited for that.

SPEAKER_08 1:07:48

But for tonight, that's our show.

SPEAKER_07 1:07:50

Yeah, thank you guys again for tuning in. Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share with your fellow cigar lovers. We will see you next Monday at 7 p.m. Central time. Until then, keep your cigar lit, your ash long, and your palate curious.

SPEAKER_08 1:08:05

Good night, Rebels.